Faucet handle remover



Aug 8, 1967 A. s. CANN ETAL 3,334405 FAUCET HANDLE REMOVER Filed March 3l, 1965 I N VEN TDRS Mui S. afvvn,

614mm/ Sarmede 7' TRNFY United States Patent O Conn. 06430 Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Sei'. No. 444,276 3 Claims. (Cl. 29-257) This invention relates to a small hand wielded tool peculiarly constructed for easily effecting the removal of the handle from the valve stem of a faucet. While the handle may be of various shapes there is shown herein for illustrating the invention a handle of the cranka'rm type which extends in perpendicular relation to the axis of the valve stem and is joined thereto in a manner to be removed from and restored to the stein.

An object of the present invention is to provide a conveniently usable tool for withdrawing the handle from the valve stem without need for hammering 1t olf, or the application of muscular strength.

Another object is to provide such a tool in a form `adapted to remove handles of different kinds from valve stems of different sizes.

Another object is to form the tool as a fixture which can be applied to the valve stem handle assembly whether or not the valve stem is assembled with the valve body he time of usin the tool.

atjtinother object i to provide such a tool with a bladed projection suitable to serve as a screwdriver for removing the handle retaining screw. l

Still another object is to provide such a tool with a screw threaded pusher member capable f entering and pressing against the dead end of the threaded hole in the end of the valve stem from which the retaining screw has been removed.

These and other objects of the invention Will appear in greater detail from the following description of a successful embodiment of the invention having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a hand tool embodying the present invention applied to a valve stem and handle to be separated.

FIG. 2 is a View taken in central vertical section through the tool and Work pieces of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of arrow 2.

FIG. 3 is a section-al view taken on the planes 3 3 in FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the handle separated .from the valve stem by use of the improved tool.

FIG. 5 shows a modified construction of the ejector rod and thrust pin which affords interchangeability between ditferent size thrust pins for use with the same rod for acting on Work pieces of different size.

To serve las framework for the improved tool, a sheet steel plate 12 is bent into U-shape with rigid yangles at the bends. One upright of the frame is bifurcate forming in effect an elongate aperture which affords a guideway 13 for an internally screw-threaded bushing .14 having diametrically opposite, parallel, narrow, flat bottomed grooves 15 in its periphery whereby to engage respectively the opposite edges of guideway 13 in a manner to keep the bushing from turning. This permits free sliding adjustment lof the bushing to selective positions lengthwise of the guideway. The bushing is prevented from leaving guideway 13 by la screw driving projection 34 that spans and closes the top end of the aforesaid aperture.

An ejector that forces the valve stem to separate from the faucet handle 21 comprises a screw-threaded rod having the handle 21 for manually turning it and a slender terminal thrust pin 22 directed toward the upright 23 of the U-shaped frame 12. Upright 23 has a V-shaped cutout 19 in which may be lodged valve stems 20 of various sizes and kinds from which a handle is to be removed.

Different diameters of valve stems resting in the tapering cutout 19 will bring the axis of the valve stem to different heights above the base 24 of the frame 12 and the slidability of the screw-threaded bushing in guideway 13 enables the thrust pin 22 to be axially aligned with the valve stem in such different heights of the latter. At all such heights the axis of the valve stein will fall in a plane that bisects the included angle of cutaway 19 and that parallels the direction of elongation of aperture 13.

When the retaining screw 28 is removed from the end of the 'valve stem, the thrust pin 22 can pass through the hole 17 in the hub of handle 21, thereby .left vacant, and can enter and seat against the inner dead end of the tapped hole in the valve stem from which screw 28 has been removed.

In operation the tool to remove a faucet handle from the valve stem, screwing inward or to the left in FIG. 2 on the threaded ejector rod `16 will force the handle 18 against the inside surface of frame upright 23 which will arrest the faucet handle 18 so that continued screwing inward of the rod will cause the thrust pin 24 to force the valve stem 20 to the left away from and out of clinging engagement with the faucet handle 1S. If a knob type of faucet handle is encountered the stem and handle assembly can be supported by resting the handle on the base 24 of the fixture or by resting the hub of the faucet handle in the V-shaped cutout 19.

FIG. 5 shows a modified construction in which the thrust pin 22', instead of being integral -With ejector rod 16', is provided with a holding head 30 which is clamped and held lirmly against the end of the screw threaded ejector rod 16 by a ferrule or retaining cup 31 which threads onto the ejector rod.

For removing and restoring screw tool as above described can be equipped with a preferably removable, bladed projection 34 which will serve as a screw driver when the frame 12 is maneuvered so as to serve as handle therefor. Projection 34 attaches to frame by screws 35.

The particular shape, size and arrangement of parts herein proposed to illustrate the invention may be dcparted from in numerous -ways while utilizing the principles of the invention as defined in the appended claims and such departures are contemplated and intended to be covered by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand tool for dislodging a handle from a valve stem in an assembly thereof, said tool comprising, a U-shaped tool frame including a base arid two spaced apart substantially parallel uprights outstanding therefrom, a seat on the first of said uprights comprising an open ended Vshaped cutaway adapted to be occupied by the handle and Stem assembly in a manner to position said handle between said frame uprights with freedom of said valve stem to slide in crosswise relation to said first upright, a guideway formed yby an aperture in the other of said uprights elongated in a direction paralleling a plane that bisects the included angle of said V-shaped cutaway, a screw threaded bearing slidable along said guideway, a screw threaded rod in operative engagement with said bearing having at one end a thrust pin directed toward said first upright, and means preventing rotation of said bearing in said aperture, the opposite end of said screw rod being accessible for being turned at the outboard side of said other upright, whereby said thrust terminal is caused to engage and shove only the stem of said assembly outwardly from said frame while said first upright resists corresponding outward movement of said handle.

2. A hand tool as defined in claim 1, in which said aperture has straight parallel edges forming the said guide- 48 the improved Way, and the said bearing has at bottomed grooves engaged with said aperture edges in a manner to prevent rotation of said bearing in the said aperture.

3. A hand tool as dened in claim 1, in which the said screw threaded rod and the said thrust pin :are separable parts and said pin has a mounting head, together with a retaining cup having screw threaded engagement with said rod shaped to clamp the mounting heads of interchangeable thrust pins firmly against the end of said rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 5/ 1921 Erickson 29-256 12/1924 Morgan 269-249 X 8/ 1926 Neil 29-256 3/ 1933 Strom 269-246 X 1/1955 Hill 269-249 X 9/ 1963 Thornton et al. 29-257 FOREIGN PATENTS 9/ 1952 Germany.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner. 

1. A HAND TOOL FOR DISLODGING A HANDLE FROM A VALVE STEM IN AN ASSEMBLY THEREOF, SAID TOOL COMPRISING, A U-SHAPED TOOL FRAME INCLUDING A BASE AND TWO SPACED APART SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL UPRIGHTS OUTSTANDING THEREFROM, A SEAT ON THE FIRST OF SAID UPRIGHTS COMPRISING AN OPEN ENDED V-SHAPED CUTAWAY ADAPTED TO BE OCCUPIED BY THE HANDLE AND STEM ASSEMBLY IN A MANNER TO POSITION SAID HANDLE BETWEEN SAID FRAME UPRIGHTS WITH FREEDOM OF SAID VALVE STEM TO SLIDE IN CROSSWISE RELATION TO SAID FIRST UPRIGHT, A GUIDEWAY FORMED BY AN APERTURE IN THE OTHER OF SAID UPRIGHTS ELONGATED IN A DIRECTION PARALLELING A PLANE THAT BISECTS THE INCLUDED ANGLE OF SAID V-SHAPED CUTAWAY, A SCREW THREADED BEARING SLIDABLE ALONG SAID GUIDEWAY, A SCREW THREADED ROD IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BEARING HAVING AT ONE END A THRUST PIN DIRECTED TOWARD SAID FIRST UPRIGHT, AND MEANS PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID BEARING IN SAID APERTURE, THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SCREW ROD BEING ACCESSIBLE FOR BEING TURNED AT THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF SAID OTHER UPRIGHT, WHEREBY SAID THRUST TERMINAL IS CAUSED TO ENGAGE AND SHOVE ONLY THE STEM OF SAID ASSEMBLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FRAME WHILE SAID FIRST UPRIGHT RESISTS CORRESPONDING OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE. 